Dish or the like



July 30, 1963 c. METZLER ETAL 3,099,377

DISH OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 1'7, 1960 \INVVENTORS. CW/IELES L. M57245? JOHN D. WAK

QME w A T Tog/v5 Y5 United States Patent 3,099,377 DISH OR THE LIKE Charles L. Metzler, Palisades Park, N.J., and John D.

Wark, Freeport, N.Y., assignors to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 50,123 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-25) The present invention relates to a one-piece dish or the like which, although of relatively thin, light-weight material, is relatively rigid. More particularly, the invention relates to a dish or the like, die formed from a single piece of thin, relatively flexible, light-weight material and having a rim configuration which gives rigidity to the article.

In the following description of the instant invention, the material of the construction disclosed will be paper. However, it is to be understood that other thin, lightweight materials having an equivalent flexural rigidity,

. such as plastic, thin-gauge metal, e.g. aluminum, or laminaes, such as paper and plastic, paper and metal, etc.,

may also be used. By relatively flexible, light-weight material as used herein is meant sheet stock having a flexural rigidity of less than 20 lb.-in. per inch of width.

Paper plates or dishes or the like are old and well known in the art; however, almost everyone has experienced a difficulty inherent in prior art paper plates in their lack of rigidity. For example, paper plates having a quantity of food placed thereon, when grasped at one edge or corner to support them, quite often bend or flex under the weight of the contents thereon, resulting in the food or drink spilling from the plate. An obvious means of correcting this fault is to make the plate of heavier, more rigid stock. However, this immediately increases the cost of the article, defeating one of the basic reasons for its existence, i.e. an inexpensive disposable dish.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a dish or the like which, although made of relatively thin, light-Weight stock, has a relatively high degree of rigidity.

Another object is to provide a dish of the character described which has a relatively high degree of resistance to bending or flexing about the transverse axis thereof.

A further object is to provide a dish of the character described which, although having a novel construction, is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the one-piece dish;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view in section of the dish shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified shape of the onepiece dish.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the instant invention, FIG. 1 shows a circular bowl formed from a one-piece paper blank about 0.02 in. thick and having a substantially level base or central panel generally designated 11. It is preferred that the blank be appropriately scored about its periphery to provide neat and even radial folds or gathers upon die forming of the dish. In its center, panel 11 has a circular boss 12 [which is slightly raised above the remainder of panel 11. At its periphery, the panel 11 curves smoothly upwardly as shown at 14, merging into a side wall 15. Side wall 15 extends upwardly from the panel 11 to merge into a peripheral rim generally designated 16.

The peripheral rim 16 embodies the novel and inven- 3,099,377 Patented July 30, 1963 "ice tive element of the subject article. As best shown in FIG. 2, the peripheral rim 16 is composed of a pair of concentric beads or arcuate portions 18 and 19 joined together by a trough 20 having a reverse curvature with respect to the peripheral beads 18 and 19 so as to give the rim 16 an undulating or wave-like form. The trough 20, as viewed in FIG. 2, is of substantially V- or U- shaped cross section. The outer head 19 terminates in a downwardly extending peripheral skirt 22. Although not shown in the drawing, it is within the purview of the instant invention that the peripheral skirt 22 extend other than downwardly. For example, the skirt 22 may be hemmed or folded back against the underside of the bead 19.

As viewed in cross section (FIG. 2), the curvature of the beads 18 and 19 approximates semi-circular, although it is preferred that the radius of the outer bead be less than that of the inner bead. The high point of each bead or the maximum amplitude of the are described by each bead lies in a single plane. Although in the preferred embodiment only two peripheral beads 18 and 19' are shown, it is within the purview of the instant invention that the peripheral rim 16 may \be composed of more than two concentric beads, the first one merging with the side wall 15 and the last one terminating in the downwardly extending skirt 22.

The arcuate configuration of the beads is preferred so as to provide the dish within maximum flexural strength and to simplify manufacturing operations. However, the instant invention also encompasses peripheral beads having, in cross-section, an angular or saw-toothed configuration. Each configuration, arcuate and saw-toothed, is included in the terms undulating or undulations as used herein.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modified form of the invention .wherein a one-piece rectangular dish 25 has a central panel generally designated 26 in the center of which is a rectangular boss 27 slightly raised above the level of the panel 26. As with the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. '1 and 2, the dish 26 has an upwardly sloping side wall (not shown) merging with a peripheral rim 28. The peripheral rim 28 is similar to the peripheral rim 16, having an arcuate portion or head 29 surrounding and connected to the panel 26 by means of the side wall; and a peripheral bead 30 surrounding the bead 29 and terminating in a downwardly extending skirt (not shown). As with the rim 16, the arcuate beads 29 and 30 are con nected by a V- or U-shaped trough having a curvature reverse to that of the beads 29 and 30.

The undulating rim as shown at 16 in FIG. 2 and 28 in FIG. 3 provides the dish of the instant invention with its markedly improved rigidity. While not Wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the convex (in plan view) configuration of the beads forming the undulations resists flexing of the plate about any one of its transverse axes. Further, the peripheral trough, such as 20 (FIG. 2) resulting from the undulating con figuration of the rim, provides an excellent seat for the peripheral edge of a dish-cover. When so seated, the dish-cover is restrained from transverse sliding movement on the rim by virtue of the raised beads on either side of the cover edge. In addition to inhibiting undesirable temperature changes in food, the subject dish, 'when covered, has the added advantage of protecting the food against insects, especially when it is outdoors, such as on picnics.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the parts and that changes may be made in the steps of the method described and their order of accomplishment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

A one-piece fibre dish comprising a central panel forming the bottom of said dish, an upstanding side wall integral with and surrounding said panel, and a peripheral reinforcing rim integral with and extending outwardly of said Wall substantially parallel to said panel to impart rigidity to said dish, said rim comprising a pair of continuous, arc-shaped channels interconnected in a V-shaped, continuous rib projecting downwardly, said channels hav- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hart et al. July 5, 1932 2,094,257 Luck et al Sept. 28, 1937 2,777,601 Cheeley Jan. 15, 1957 2,802,411 Riener Aug. 13, 1957 

